EGG CURRY

Preparation time:20 minutes
Cooking time:20 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, pureed
1/2" ginger, grated

1 green chili finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5-6 cashews ground to paste using some milk
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp catch sabzi masala

1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp degi mirch
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

3 to 4 eggs
2 tbsp cream or hung curd
chopped coriander leaves for garnish
salt to taste

Method:

1. Hard boil the eggs in water to which some salt has been added.
2. When the eggs cool down, crack the shells and take out the boiled egg from the shell. Keep the boiled eggs aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, when they start to crackle add the onions and saute them till the onions turn golden brown in color.
4. Now, add the pureed tomatoes,green chili, ginger and garlic to the onions. saute till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
5. Now add all the spices ,kasuri methi and salt along with 2 tbsp water and stir for a while.
6. Now add cashew paste and 3 cup water and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
7. Then add cream  or hung curd and cook further till the gravy thickens and you see specks of oil on the top.
8. Slit the eggs into halves and add the hard boiled eggs in to the curry and switch off the flame.
9. garnish the egg curry with coriander leaves.
10. Serve egg curry hot with chapati,parantha or  rice.

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DAL PAKWAN

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

For Pakwan
1.5 cup all purpose flour/maida

1/4 cup semolina /sooji
1/4 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp oil or ghee
oil for deep frying

For Dal

1 cup chana dal or bengal gram
2 green chilies, slit
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp cumin
a pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1-2 tbsp tamarind pulp as per taste
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp sugar or as per taste (optional)
salt as per taste
2 tbsp oil or ghee

Method:

For Pakwan

1. Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead a tight dough.
2. Make small balls of the dough.
3. Roll them into circular discs with the help of a rolling pin.
4. Prick each with a fork and deep fry in hot oil till the pakwans are crisp and golden brown in color.
5. Drain the pakwans on an absorbant paper to remove excess oil.
6. Serve pakwan warm with chana dal .

For Dal

1. Rinse and soak the chana dal in water for 2-3 hours.
2. Drain and cook the dal with 3 cups of water,salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles.
3.  Open the lid when the pressure releases on its own,
4. Add rest of the spices,tamarind pulp, sugar and salt to the dal.
5. Cook for 8-10 minutes on a low flame or till you reach desired consistency.
6. Heat oil or ghee in another pan.
7. Crackle the cumin first and then add the green chilies ,curry leaves and asafoetida and saute further for a minute or two on a low flame.
8. Pour this tempering over the dal.
9. Mix well and serve the steaming hot dal with pakwan accompanied with some chopped onions, tomatoes,green chilis,coriander leaves and sweet tamarind chutney. 

Contributed by:
 Era Juneja

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GAAJAR KA HALWA

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time : 1 and a 1/2 hour
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
5 cups grated carrots
1 liter full cream milk
2 tbsp pure ghee
1/2 cup sugar or as per taste
1 tsp cardamom powder
dry fruits as per taste (cashews,almonds,raisins and pistachios)

Method:

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
2. Combine milk and grated carrots and cook them on a low to medium flame, bring the whole mixture to a boil and then simmer stirring in between.
3. When the liquid present in the mixture evaporates add sugar and cardamom powder and cook further till the water released by sugar also evaporates.Don't make it completely dry, it should be of semi solid consistency. 
4. Take ghee in another pan and fry sliced cashews and almonds til the become light brown in color.
5. Now carefully add the cooked mixture to the ghee and stir well and cook on a low flame for two three minutes.
6. Gajar ka halwa is ready to be served.

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HARE CHANE KI KADHI / RAGADWAN CHOLUA

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup Green Garbanzo seeds (hara chana) or cholua
1 cup curd
2-3 green chillis
1" long ginger

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1 green cardamom

1 tbsp pure ghee or refined oil
salt as per taste
a pinch of hing(asafoetida)
1/4 tsp jeera(cumin seeds)

1/4 tsp mustard seeds (rai)

8-10 fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder or sabzi masala

Method:

1. Wash garbanzo seeds . Take green garbanzo seeds,curd,green chilies,ginger,coriander leaves,seeds of green cardamom and grind them all together to make a fine paste. 
2. Heat oil or pure ghee in a pan and add hing, jeera,fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds in hot oil. 
3. When they start to crackle add coriander powder , red chilli powder  and the prepared paste dissolved in curd along with as much water as required (3 cups approx.) and cook while stirring regularly. 
4. Once Kadi comes to boil put salt  in it. Allow Kadi to cook for 10-12 minutes on a low flame. 
5. Turn off the gas, put garam masala in the Kadi and mix well.
6. Hara Chana Kadi  is ready, to be served with hot missi roti, chapati, naan or chawal etc.

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PANJIRI

Preparation time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves: 28-30 kg of panjiri

Ingredients:

10 kg pure ghee or clarified butter

10 kg wheat flour

1.5 kg almonds cut into halves lengthwise

350 gms melon seeds(magaj)

150 gms pistachio sliced lenthwise

1.250 kg gond powdered (edible gum)

250 gms makhane

50 gms black pepper powder

50 gms carom seeds (ajwain)

1 kg cashew nuts 4 piece

7 kg bura sugar  

Method:

1. Heat one kg of pure ghee in a big wok and fry the makanas, drain them out and keep them aside.
2. Now add rest of the ghee as well and let it melt, then add wheat flour to it.
3. Cook the flour on medium heat stirring continuously till it turns brown and leaves ghee. 
4. Keep a hand full of each type of dry fruit aside for garnishing and add rest of the dry fruits along with all other ingredients except bura sugar and turn off the gas.
5. Mix well.
6. Now add bura and mix well.
7. Pour it out in a big steel drum and garnish with dry fruits.
8. Cover the box with a muslin cloth till the panjiri is hot, cover it with lid only after it is completely cool.
9. Serve lukewarm panjiri in the desired quantity.

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CHOP SUEY

For Noodles:

1 pack 100 gms noodles

1 tsp all purpose flour(maida)

oil for frying

1 tsp salt

10 cups water

For the sauce:

1 carrot shredded

1/2 cup capsicum thinly sliced

1 onion thinly sliced

1 cup cabbage shredded

 2 cups water

1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp soya sauce
3 tbsp corn flour
salt  to taste

Method:

1. Take 8 cups of water,one tsp salt and 1 tsp of oil in a big vessel and bring it to a boil.
2. Now add the noodles and cook for exactly as per instructions on the pack or till the noodles are perfectly cooked neither under cooked nor over cooked and drain out hot water .
3. Immediately put the noodles in cold water then drain out the cold water as well and keep the noodles in a strainer so that excess water drains out completely.
4. Sprinkle flour on the noodles, it will absorb any water present in the noodles.
5. Divide the noodles in three equal portions and fry one portion at a time and make three nest like bunches.Fry from both the sides by turning side while frying. When it becomes crisp from both the sides drain it out and keep it a side.
6. Heat oil in a pan add all the vegetables,salt and pepper in it and stir for two minutes.
7. Add vinegar,soya sauce,tomato sauce and cook for one minute and add 2 cups of water.
8. When the water starts boiling add the cornflour dissolved in 1/2 cup water stirring continuously. Cook for 2 minutes and keep a side.
9. At the time of serving break one bunch of noodles into small pieces in a serving dish and the prepared sauce with vegetables in another serving dish, sprinkle some Chinese seasoning over the sauce and serve hot.   

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MATAR ZIMIKAND / MATAR SURAN /PEAS WITH YAM

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4-6

Ingredients:

250 gms yam (zimikand / suran)
1 cup peas
2 tbsp refined oil + 1 tsp oil for greasing your hands
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 big onion finely chopped
2 tomatoes pureed
5-6 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2" piece ginger grated
1 green chili finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp degi mirch
1 tsp dhania powder (coriander powder)
1 tsp catch sabzi masala
salt to taste
oil for frying
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Grease your hands with 1 tsp of oil and peel the yam with the help of a knife.(it is important to grease your hands before cutting yam because otherwise it can cause itchiness in your hands) 
2. Cut the yam into 1/2" cubes and rinse them well in water.
3. Keep these yam pieces in a strainer till all the excess water is drained out.
4. Heat oil and deep fry yam pieces till they become brown in color.
5. Drain out from oil on an absorbent paper and keep them aside.
6. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, when they start to crackle add chopped onion,ginger garlic and green chilies.
7. Cook till onions become light brown in color, now add pureed tomatoes and cook till the masala leaves the sides of the cooker.
8. Add all the spices and salt and stir for a while.
9. Add 3-4 cups of water and give a stir.
10. Add yam along with peas and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or till it is done.
11. When the pressure releases take it out in a bowl, garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with chapati or rice.  

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AALU PURI / RASEDAAR AALU

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sized potatoes, boiled,peeled and chopped into dices
2 medium sized tomatoes, pureed
1" ginger grated
1 green chili chopped
1.5 tbsp desi ghee or refined oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch or asafoetida (hing)
7-8 curry leaves or 1 tsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tsp degi mirch
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp catch sabzi masala or kitchen king
1 tsp fennel seeds powder sounf powder
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor powder)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat ghee or oil in a pressure cooker and add asafoetida,cumin seeds,mustard seeds,curry leaves,ginger and green chilies.
2. Stir for a while and add pureed tomatoes.
3. Cook till the mixture leaves oil and then add degi mirch, turmeric powder, coriander powder,
4. sabzi masala or kitchen king,sugar and salt and cook for a minute.
5. Add 4 cups of water and the potatoes and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or till the potatoes are cooked completely.
6. Open the lid and simmer the aloo sabzi by pressing a few cooked potatoes with the ladle on the sides of the cooker.
7. This is to get a slightly thicker consistency of the gravy. the starch from the potatoes makes the gravy a little thick.
8. Now add fennel powder and dry mango powder and cook till you get the desired consistency.    
9. Sprinkle chopped coriander and serve hot with ajwain ki crisp puri or urad dal puri , methi puri , tri colored puris onion,green chili and pickle  .   

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INSTAT CARROT PICKLE / GAJAR KA ACHAAR

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 2 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot
2 tsp  mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Peel wash and cut carrots in to thin slices.
2. Coarsely grind mustard seeds in a mixer.
3. Combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a small pan, add it to the carrot mixture and mix well.
5. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated till use.
6. This pickle stays fresh for 3 to 4 days.
7. This goes realy well with aalu puri or bhature chole.

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GAJAR PAAK/CARROT BURFI

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40-50 minutes

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 kg carrot

250 gms khoya / mawa

250 gms bura sugar(powdered sugar)

2-3 tbsp pure ghee

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Peel ,wash and grate the carrots.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a kadahi and cook grated carrots in ghee stirring occasionally till all the water present in carrots evaporates. It will take approximately half an hour.
3. Now add sugar and cook till the water released by the sugar also evaporates stirring continuously.
4. Now take another pan and roast khoya/mawa in one tbsp of pure ghee till it becomes completely dry and statrs changing color.
5. Switch off the gas and mix roasted carrots,khoya/mawa and cardamom powder very well with the help of a potato masher.
6. Grease a thali or a rectangular plate with ghee and spread the mixture evenly on it.
7. When it cools down keep it in the fridge.
8. When it is set, cut it in the desired shape and serve. 
9. You can store it in a container and consume it within a week.

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